“Today, I was happy to see overwhelming support from the Oregon Senate to expand access to full-day kindergarten to all of Oregon’s young learners. I have been a long-time supporter of full-day kindergarten and the strong foundation it provides our students. Since 2003, we have increased the number of students in full-day kindergarten from 3,600 to 14,600. But this is still only about a third of Oregon’s kindergartners.

“If America is going to keep its competitive edge in the 21st century as technology and globalization transform the world we live in, we need to support education, starting in these critical early years. This legislation makes a clear commitment to providing all Oregon students with a strong start that puts them on the path to future success.

“I would like to thank the Senate for its support of this important legislation.”